The Korea Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) held a large-scale K-FOOD event at COEX in Seoul in November 2021. During this event, BKF (Buy Korean Food), an online export fair for buyers, attracted the attention of Korean exporters and overseas buyers. This event was participated by 165 Korean exporters and 92 buyers from 23 overseas countries and recorded a consultation result of USD 8.89 million. We listened to the competitiveness of Korean agricultural products from Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, the Import Manager of Vietnam Wincommerce, who participated in BKF.

Q. Please introduce your company to us.
“Wincommerce has been ranked No.1 in Vietnam’s distribution sector for three consecutive years after seven years of growth. It distributes safe and fresh food through Winmart, a large distribution store with 122 stores, and Winmart+, a convenience store with 2,500 stores throughout Vietnam. In addition to Korea, we directly import and distribute fresh fruits and meats from countries around the world, including the United States, Australia, and Canada, and we plan to expand the number of Winmart stores to 20,000 within the next five years.”

Q. What are the Korean agricultural products you consulted with an interest at the BKF held last November and why?
“The Korean agricultural products we consulted for with the greatest interest at the BKF online export conference are pears, grapes, strawberries, mushrooms, and soymilk. The items for this year’s consultation are well-known as excellent agricultural products in Korea, and the purchase demand for pears, strawberries, and grapes is increasing as they are recognized as safe and fresh excellent agricultural products among Vietnamese consumers. In line with this trend, we are making efforts in various ways such as discovering new items and promoting the country of origin to expand consumption of excellent Korean agricultural products by local consumers.”

Q. What are the local consumers’ response and competitiveness to Korean agricultural products?
“Among Korean agricultural products, our main product pear best meets Vietnamese consumers’ tastes because of its sugar content and crunchy texture compared to other products. In addition to this, various Korean agricultural products such as strawberries and grapes are receiving huge attention from overseas consumers. I think the competitiveness of Korean agricultural products is by far the best quality. They are excellent in appearance, sugar content, and safety through strict quality control. They are also very fresh thanks to the short transport period for exporting to Vietnam compared to agricultural products from other countries such as the US and Australia.”

Q. What would you say to Korean exporters to expand exports of agricultural products?
“Korean agricultural products are recognized with a safe and reliable premium image among local consumers. With Vietnam’s economic growth, local consumers’ consumption of Korean agricultural products is also expected to expand. Therefore, if Korean exporters strive to maintain a premium image of Korean agricultural products through continuous and thorough quality control, I think they will have a bright prospect of export expansion.”